Simple Roast Chicken

Roasting a whole chicken is a great way to ensure that all the meat is juicy and it can make meal planning for multiple meals super easy. I always have leftovers that make for another quick meal. Heat up the leftover meat with some salsa and you have the quick beginnings of tacos. Add the leftovers to a pan of quickly cooked veggies with some sauce and you have a stir fry. Make a simple soup with vegetables and rice and add the chicken in at the very end or chop it up and throw on a salad for lunches.

I have a lot of clients who live in families of one or two people. They often complain that cooking a whole chicken is too much food and they get tired of eating it before it is all gone. Check out this tiny 2-pound chicken. I ordered this one from GoodEggs.com grocery delivery service in the Bay Area. Talk to the butcher you may be able to order a right-sized chicken for your family if they don’t have one in stock.

Ingredients

Whole chicken (I like to use organic or pasture-raised if I can find it)

1 fresh lemon cut in half

1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

2-4 sprigs of fresh herbs (I like to use rosemary, mint, Italian parsley)

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rinse the chicken.

Put the chicken in a roasting pan, sometimes I line my pan with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Add the herbs, ½ of the lemon, and garlic to the cavity of the chicken.

Season the top of the chicken with a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch or two of salt and pepper.

Cook until a meat thermometer registers 180 degrees on the inside of the thigh. Cook times will vary depending on the size of the chicken. I know it is time to start checking the temperature when the skin on the legs starts to pull away. Let the chicken sit for 10-15 minutes before carving.